Angels can't rally back vs. Rangers, lose 5-4

Texas Rangers' Adrian Beltre, right, is met at home plate by teammates Ian Kinsler (5) and Elvis Andrus as Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis, left, looks on after Beltre hit a three run home run during the third inning of the baseball in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Rangers won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP

Sometimes you put the money in, press the button and the candy comes out. Sometimes you press the button, the arm spins around -- but the candy doesn't come out.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia pushed enough buttons Sunday afternoon but the Angels came up empty-handed in a 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers.

"We had a lot of opportunities," Scioscia said. "We just didn't do enough."

They certainly tried enough things.

Another unimpressive outing by Ervin Santana put the Angels in a 4-1 hole after he gave up a three-run homer to Adrian Beltre in the third inning and a solo shot to Chris Davis in the fourth. But the Angels chipped away at the Rangers' lead, tying it at 4 on Erick Aybar's two-out, two-run single in the sixth inning.

Aybar had three hits and three RBIs in the game. But the rest of the Angels' lineup did little. His sixth-inning single was their only hit with runners in scoring position in 11 at-bats Sunday and one of only three in 31 RISP at-bats in the three-game series in Texas.

Another one would have come in handy in the eighth inning after Alexi Amarista's one-out triple. But Rangers manager Ron Washington outguessed Scioscia with Peter Bourjos at the plate, pitching out at 1-and-0 and 2-and-1 as Bourjos tried to get a squeeze bunt down.

On the second attempt, Amarista scrambled back to third as Rangers catcher Mike Napoli came out of his crouch to handle the pitch. The rookie admitted he missed the sign on the squeeze bunt. In this case, it was a fortuitous blunder. Amarista would have been out at the plate when Bourjos failed to make contact.

That left Scioscia with one of his go-to strategies with a runner on third – the contact play. With the count full and the infield in, Bourjos hit a grounder right at Beltre. Running on contact, Amarista was tagged out in a rundown between third and home.

Having failed to cash in on their own scoring opportunity, the Angels created one for the Rangers in the bottom of the eighth.

Rich Thompson came into the game having retired the first batter he faced in each of his first 13 appearances this season. Only one other reliever (minimum 10 appearances) had been more efficient against first batters this season: San Diego's Mike Adams has retired the first batter in each of his 18 appearances this season.

But Thompson walked the first two batters in the eighth and gave up a checked-swing single to Napoli to load the bases. Hisanori Takahashi replaced Thompson and gave up a single to Davis to score the go-ahead run.

"He's been terrific coming out of the 'pen," Scioscia said of Thompson. "He just lost his release point, got into some deep counts and walked a couple guys. He really wasn't commanding counts or the ball enough to bring his other pitches into the game."

Scioscia was pushing buttons again in the ninth after Howie Kendrick drew a one-out walk against Rangers closer Neftali Feliz. Alberto Callaspo worked the count full, then fouled off three consecutive pitches with Kendrick running on the pitch. He was going again on the ninth pitch of the at-bat when Callaspo swung and missed at a high fastball. Kendrick was thrown out by yards at second base to end the game.

"Feliz was ultra-quick to the plate. We were looking for 'Ball four' or contact there," Scioscia said of the "run-and-hit" play. "Alberto is terrific in those situations. He just expanded his zone and swung at a high fastball.

"We're trying to force coverage (get the infielders moving) and if it finds a hole, we have first-and-third."

The strikeout was just the 12th of the season for Callaspo, who came into the game as the third-toughest batter to strike out in the American League (one in every 13.5 plate appearances), riding a 16-for-34 burst in his past 10 games.

"I knew if he swung and missed I was going to be out," Kendrick said. "That pitch was 96 (mph) and up, the perfect pitch for Nap to throw once he missed it.

"Callaspo is a guy who doesn't swing and miss much. He usually puts the ball in play. You've got to take chances sometimes."

Texas Rangers' Adrian Beltre, right, is met at home plate by teammates Ian Kinsler (5) and Elvis Andrus as Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis, left, looks on after Beltre hit a three run home run during the third inning of the baseball in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Rangers won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) rubs up a new ball as Texas Rangers Chris Davis (19) rounds the bases on his solo home run during the fourth inning of the baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Ranges won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP
Los Angeles Angels' Torii Hunter (48) jumps out to the way of a pitch during the third inning of the baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Rangers won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP
Texas Rangers David Murphy, center, is forced out at home by Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis (5) as umpire Phil Cuzzi (10) makes the call during the eighth inning of the baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Rangers won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP
Texas Rangers' Adrian Beltre hits a three run home run during the third inning of the baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. LM OTERO, AP
Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) turns and throws a pick-off attempt to first base during the first inning of the baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. LM OTERO, AP
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo (44) tags Texas Rangers' Endy Chavez for the out after fielding an infield ground ball during the third inning of the baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. LM OTERO, AP
Texas Rangers starting pitcher C.J. Wilson (36) kicks up his leg during the first inning of the baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. LM OTERO, AP
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Hisanori Takahashi (21) of Japan throws during the eighth inning of the baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Rangers won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP
Los Angeles Angels Howard Kendrick (47) is caught trying the steal second base by Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) for the final out of the baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. The Rangers won 5-4. LM OTERO, AP
Texas Rangers' Chris Davis, right, and Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis (5) watch Davis' RBI single line drive to right fielder during the eighth inning of the baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, May 15, 2011. Rangers' Adrian Beltre scored the game winning run on the play for the Rangers to win 5-4. LM OTERO, AP

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